


In a Vertibird Everything Is Simple

by ValentinesValentine (UnfinishedProject)



Series: Fallout February (Reddit Daily Prompts) [4]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Feelings Realization, Flashbacks, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22572223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnfinishedProject/pseuds/ValentinesValentine
Summary: February 4. Fying: Is it just me, or are hearts all aflutter today? When these characters are together, they just feel like soaring.
Relationships: Paladin Danse/Female Sole Survivor
Series: Fallout February (Reddit Daily Prompts) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1621144
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	In a Vertibird Everything Is Simple

**Author's Note:**

> I kinda went off-prompt but still, Danse and feelings.

He was still working through the revelation that he was a synth, that he wasn't the man he believed himself to be. The world around him, in its nature, remained the same even if everything tipped upside down for him; except for Nora's presence, she's been by his side since the first moment they met. She was the anchor he needed, the piece of sanity he clung to yet nothing made sense when she was around; his thoughts cut short in a panic and his insides twisted and knotted with nerves — a familiar feeling from his first vertibird ride. 

_His eyes widened as he stepped up to the plane, palms sweaty under the power armor; thankful for the helmet masking his features. If someone told him a year ago that he would fly in one of these, he'd laugh at them, tell them to stop joking; but there was no trace of joy as he took in every inch of the vertibird. Surely well-crafted if, with regular maintenance he assumed, after two centuries it could fly. Not enough to keep his dread at bay that made the rational voice in his head cut short and gave way to horrendous what-ifs to plague his mind._

_It would malfunction, crash and he would be lucky to snap his neck on impact; break anything else and he likely gets cooked alive in his armor. Or, and that was the more probable option, one of the Brotherhood's many enemies would shoot them down; the result the same, crash and burn._

Crash and burn out. Fear of those were the ones holding back him once again, making him hesitate when he had the chance. Nora was flirting with him every occasion she had and he stumbled across his words, unable to reply in kind as panic settled in his mind. What if she was only using him, that she would abandon him when she reached her goal? What if she was like this with any man she met and it was all a game to her? He knew that it was irrational, that she was serious about being with him. 

And then there was the pressure society held, what the Brotherhood expected. A bitter laugh escaped him as he stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep — taking Nora's closeness for granted. He didn't have to adhere to the rules of the Brotherhood anymore but, should he step out of line, Maxson wouldn't give explicit order to hold back. And that would be right, he'd be fine with it if it wouldn't drag Nora down with him. How could he hurt her after all she's done for him? 

The truth was, he was a synth and no matter the choice Nora made about the Institute, the simple people of the Commonwelth would be distrustful of him. And Nora by proxy, not to mention the names they would call her if they knew a human and a synth was together. Maybe it would get easier after a while, like the flights in a vertibird to and from the Prydwen — did Nora even have that kind of time? 

_When Paladin Krieg told him it would get better, he was skeptical. What did a junk vendor from the wasteland know about things like that? But, ultimately, he was right about this one — and many other things he learnt under him or came to appreciate later in life. With time he realized the vertibirds were, if nothing else, convenient and practical once the Prydwen was operational. Sturdy and built well, though not exactly fast; above all, it served a function, it wasn't a shiny toy._

_The Capital Wasteland, that seemed an endless expanse with creatures lurking behind every rock seemed impossibly small. He could see distances that were impossible to and a new world opened up for him. The sunsets and rises were blinding but filling him with hope. The clouds weren't as menacing up close. The dread took a backseat and perked up less frequently._

His concerns about Nora's competence slipped away too quick for him to uses as an excuse; she was the most remarkable civilian he's ever met. It wasn't a chore to guide her through whatever Maxson threw at her as he initially feared; though sometimes her recklessness was worrisome, the determination was admirable. He only recently realized his worry wasn't for a waste of resources; he was afraid of losing her. He lost too many that were close to him but the faith Nora had in him gave him the confidence he needed; he felt ready to protect her regardless of the cost. 

It must be how she feels about her son, even now that things weren't the way she expected. Was she feeling the same about him, too? That was a selfish thought and, for a moment, he wanted to chastise himself for it; he wasn't Brotherhood any longer, he could be somewhat selfish when it came to Nora. He saw her potential, what she can accomplish across the Commonwealth with the right people behind her and he didn't want to take that away from her; but he'd be lying if he didn't want those peaceful nights back. He watched her run off to a settlement with the first crack of her radio and sometimes he just wanted to grab her hand and keep her by his side; keep her safe, he thought, but once again he was just selfish. 

Nora was her own person, but she's chosen him. She could've settled with anyone, start a new family but she kept coming back to him, to a machine. _You're not a machine, Danse._ Her fingers brushed against his cheek at that, her other hand holding onto his for balance as she rose to kiss him. She left shortly after with a promise that she would come back but she had a limited time with her son, and that's where she had to be. He watched her zap away, a mixture of excitement and fear in him — it took less time with her to be excited than with the vertibird. 

_He didn't really count how many times he flew before he was waiting for the next excuse to use one. Even if he was still a soldier, still a part of something greater, he felt free. His thoughts escaped him when he could fly, there was only him and the vast blue of the sky; the problems and challenges that surrounded them on the ground seemed insignificant. He would smile to himself under the helmet, finding the new recruits' fear amusing; though much aware he wasn't any better._

_When he was up in a vertibird, he felt unstoppable; no obstacle too great to overcome. The only time he felt similar was when he was trusted with a squad for the first time; together everything was possible as people in the old world said._

Together, in fact, everything was possible; with Nora by his side. She was persistent but now he saw the appeal; it was the only way to get something done in the Commonwealth. The sarcasm she often used when dealing with civilians that annoyed her often tugged a smile on his face. When she went off alone to help a settlement, he caught himself missing the cynical humor; missing her. 

It seemed strange that in the beginning he was hoping for another paladin to oversee her training. It was annoying that she always had a smile in the mornings, now he couldn't start a day right without it. He changed, and not because he learnt about not being a human; it was Nora's doing. He was excited to see her again, enjoying what he feared and held reservations about; his world turned upside down but, as long Nora was behind it, he was satisfied. 

With the strict rules of the Brotherhood he could never allow himself the luxury of falling in love but Nora hasn't left him much of a choice. She became his everything when he lost all he knew before; and the vertibird flights he would surely miss couldn't really compare to her. Maybe he was a fool, maybe his programming was faulty but he wouldn't change it for the world. He only hoped he still had the chance to tell Nora how he felt and she hasn't took his stumbling and hesitation as rejection.


End file.
